Sports

St. Francis High senior Nash Horton last month was presented with an offer he just couldn’t refuse. The Sharks baseball standout verbally committed to play for Pepperdine University after he was told a roster spot would be waiting for him in the 2026 spring season. “It's...

A good chunk of the returning players for Watsonville High spent a majority of the offseason staying busy. Whether it was on the football field or in the weight room on campus or at Guerrilla Underground Fitness in Watsonville, the grind never stopped.  That included senior...

The Watsonville High football team last week bounced back with a 44-21 win over Santa Cruz High in non-league action Sept. 6.  Nate Aguilar hauled in two touchdown receptions, and fellow teammate Abraham Martinez added a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Wildcatz.  Watsonville had a...

The San Jose Earthquakes earned an impressive win over Club Deportivo Guadalajara—nicknamed “Chivas”—that went the full distance at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night. Following a 1-1 draw in regulation, the Quakes outlasted the Chivas, 4-3, via penalty shootout in front of a tournament-record 50,675 fans...

Haley Batten placed ninth in the women’s mountain bike event three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics. One would figure that’s already quite the accomplishment itself just being able to get to that point. Instead, she departed the “Land of the Rising Sun” feeling as...

The Pajaronian’s Athletes of the Week were selected based on their performances during the week of Oct. 7-13. Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to submit nominations to sports editor Juan Reyes at [email protected].  Boys Casey MacConnell (Sr.), Aptos Casey Maconnell played a critical role on both...

For the past three years, Dominic Pierini has experienced just one winning season as the starting quarterback for the Monte Vista Christian football program.   It came in 2023 when the 6-foot-3,195-pound slinger led them to a 6-4 overall record and on the brink of qualifying...

There was a lot to look forward to this season after the St. Francis High boys’ basketball team was coming off a Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division title run.  The reward was a jump to compete in the more challenging Mission Division.   League action began...

A new era under Zach Hewett officially began last week as the Aptos High football team took the practice field for the first time this season.  Prior to taking the helm, the 39-year-old head coach knew there wasn’t going to be much of a change.  For...

The Monterey Bay Football Club announced Aug. 5 it hired Jordan Stewart on a multi-year deal to become the club’s permanent head coach.  Stewart—a former San Jose Earthquakes standout—is set to establish a new era for the Union, who currently sit eighth with a 7-9-6...